Kh Asif appears before NAB’s team in Aqama inquiry

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif on Thursday appeared before the Combined Investigation Team (CIT) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in ‘Aqama’ inquiry against him.

Kh Asif remained in NAB’s office for more than an hour. Previously, a counsel of Kh Asif had appeared before the NAB, after which he was summoned in-person. Kh Asif, in his previous hearings before the NAB, had admitted that he was a UAE ‘Aqama’ holder from 2004 to 2014 and remained an employee of International and Mechanical and Electric Company (IMECO) as legal adviser and received Rs136 million as salary from the said employment.

The NAB has asked Kh Asif and IMECO to provide an explanation regarding the ‘Aqama’ agreement. As the ‘Aqama’ agreement submitted by Kh Asif, an employee was bound to work within UAE and there shall be one day rest in a week, but in this case employee didn’t join office in violation of ‘Aqama’ agreement but claimed receipt of salary of Rs136 million.

The call up notice claims that in the previous hearing before the NAB, Kh Asif had submitted a letter, issued by the M/s IMECO, showing their willingness to appear before any forum, regarding Asif’s claim of employment. The notice has asked Kh Asif and IMECO to bring ‘Aqama’ documents along with company’s registration documents with the UAE government, financial statements from 2014 to 2019. The NAB has also asked IMECO managing director to provide attested copies of books of accounts, showing payment of claimed remuneration to Kh Asif from 2004 to 2018.